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Geography Final Exam

Terms in this set (49)

Long wave radiation
Radio waves. What runs your radio.
Short wave radiation
Gamma wave (Radiation)
Convection
What drives a lot of our rainstorms, heat gives energy molecules which then move away. The molecule that heats up is going to move on its own.
Conduction
Moving heat molecule to molecule. (Move it around)
Radiation
Emitting heat from a point source.
-Can feel the heat
-our planet acts like a __________or
4 layers of the Atmosphere
Troposphere
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
Composition
1.Nitrogen
2.Oxygen
3.Argon
4.Carbon dioxide
Temperature
The average of kinetic energy in the molecules of a given system. Whatever you want to take the ____of.
Scales
Fahrenheit
Celsius
Kelvin Scale
Thermometer
How we measure temperature.
Controls on temperature
1. Latitude
2. Altitude
3.Cloud Cover
4. Land/Water
Latitude
Moves towards poles, gets colder.
Altitude or Elevation
Higher up becomes colder, above sea level.
Cloud Cover
Only one that's time sensitive.
-Daytime=cooler
-Nighttime=warmer
Land/Water
_______=relatively clear, evaporates, mix, higher specific heat, movement currents.
_______=opaque, cant mix, low specific heat, no currents
Air Pressure
1. Equational Low
2.Polar High
3.Tropical High
4. Mid latitudinal low
Barometer
measures pressure
Anemometer
measures speed
Wind Vane
measures direction
Controlling Forces
1. Pressure Gradient
2.Coriolis Effect
3.Friction
Absolute Humidity
actual amount of water in the air. Ex.) grab a bubble of air and squeeze the water out, is ___________.
Relative Humidity
How much water/ maximum of H2o
actual/ maximum x 100 %
ex.) 20g/50g x 100%= 40%
Properties of Water
1.Its attraction to polar molecules
2.High specific heat
3. High heat of vaporization
4. The low density of ice
5.High polarity
States of matter for water
Solid=melting (cool)+/ freezing (heat)-
Liquid= evaporating (cool)+/ condensation (rain)-
Gas= sublimation (gas)+/ deposition (frost)-
High Pressure Cells
cooler temps (sinking air)---> clear (the air)
Low Pressure Cells
opposite. tend to have warm/rising and tend to have clouds.
Dew Point
100% humidity. Where you would start to get precipitation.
Air Masses
Large volumes of air with similar conditions.
(Land + Water)
m-maritime
c- continent
(Temperature)
T-tropical
P-Polar
ex. mP, mT, cP, cT
Troposphere
most air molecules, most weather.
Tropopause
Holds roughly the same temperature.
Stratosphere
ozone layer, absorbs UV rays and gets warmer up into the __________.
Mesosphere
Temperature decreases= cold weather.
Thermosphere
No air, fly the satellites up here.
Warm Front
Warm air behind front. (Red lines)
Cold front
Cooler air behind front. (Blue lines)
Occluded Front
______ form when a cold front catches up to a warm front because cold fronts move along much faster than warm fronts do. (Purple lines)
Stationary Front
Same weather.
__________ the boundary between two different air masses with different densities when neither is advancing. The air masses are not moving strongly enough to overtake each other, so the front remains in one place
Tornadoes
Measured on Fajita Scale. Based on wind speeds. Respond off of thunderstorms. Prediction is the holy grail. 12 minutes is your average warning time.
Hurricanes
Violent weather. Usually result from sudden or drastic change in atmospheric conditions. Causes damage, High intensity rain and storm surges.
Koppen climate system
5 letter system.
A-tropical (start @ equator, A's are always hot)
B-Dry (Dry regions, deserts)
C-Hot summers (warm/mild winters)
D-Mild summers (cold winters)
E- Polar Climate (always cold)
Convergent Lifting
As air goes up it cools. This collision upwards has a cooling affect. Get your air up to 100%
Convectional Lifting
Energy heat from sun. 100% humidity. See this the most in the afternoon. If you want to see an island you look out for the clouds and you sail to them.
Frontal Wedging
100% relative humidity.
Warm front and cold front collide
Orographic Uplift
Wind belt has no choice but to go up.
Descending air always heats up.
Starts to lose 100% Relative humidity
Rain shadow
Windward side
leeward side= don't have a lot of wind
Pressure Gradient
High and Low never changes.
Isobars=line of equal pressure
wider lines= slower winds
closer lines=faster winds
Coriolis Effect
Variation in rotational velocity
Any air that tries to move North, turns to the right.
Air at the equator moves 1000mph.
Southern hemisphere air bends to the left
Friction
Ground effects air molecules.
Jet Streams= Fast levels moving rivers of the air
Heat Index
What the temp "feels like"
lack of evaporation
high humidity
closer too 100% humidity, the less air will hold.
effects younger people bc they're more active.
Electronic Millibars
Wind is related to pressure
Wind will always blow from high to low.
water=33 ft high is normal
mercury=30 inches is normal
(Mb)=1013.2 normal @ sea level
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